


What's in a Name?

by horatiofrog



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Belonging, Family Bonding, Gen, Identity, Name Changes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 15:15:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16043069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/horatiofrog/pseuds/horatiofrog
Summary: Justin's pending adoption means he has some choices to make -- among them, who is it he really wants to be?





	What's in a Name?

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Destiny Which Makes Us Brothers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14782280) by [Bitterblue33](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bitterblue33/pseuds/Bitterblue33). 



> Content notice: This draws heavily from Bitterblue33's vignette "Adoption Day", the twentieth chapter of her series "A Destiny Which Makes Us Brothers." While reading it is not entirely necessary, it is well worth a look.

**April 25 th**

“Um, about the whole adoption thing…”

Lainie Jensen’s ears perked up as she held the salad bowl out to her foster son.  “What about it?”

Nervous teeth quivered a worried lip.  Justin Foley ran a hand through his hair, raking back a mass of unruly curls.  “I just…I guess I have…questions?”

Matt Jensen quirked up an eyebrow as he finished his bite of lasagna.  “Okay…”

“Ask away,” Lainie encouraged.

“Well, um…”  A sigh came out where it seemed words should have.  “I guess…”

“Justin, spit it out,” Clay Jensen said between bites of garlic toast.  “I mean, Mom and Dad are smart people, but mind reading isn’t one of their strong suits.”

“Shut up,” Justin said, glowering a mock-evil look at his soon-to-be brother.  “I mean, do I have to…change my name, or anything?”

The collective sigh could be felt for a block.  “No, honey, it’s not a requirement.  You can keep your own name if you want.”

“Is that something you’d be interested in?” Matt asked.  “Changing, I mean?”

Clay stopped eating.  His attention was now solely on Justin.  “Justin Jensen,” he said experimentally.  “Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but…”

“Uh, no,” Justin said hastily.  “I mean, maybe someday, but…I mean, I’m me.”

“Idiot.  You’d still be _you_.”  Clay gave Justin’s shoulder a friendly shove.  “Changing your name doesn’t change who you are.”  He paused, turning to his mother.  “Does it?”

“No.” She patted Justin’s other shoulder, smiling.  “I never thought so.”

“But…I mean, you must have changed names,” Justin said.  “When you got married, I mean?”

“Well, yeah,” Lainie admitted.  “But it didn’t really change _me._   I took Matt’s name because I wanted to.  I was ready to start a new chapter of my life.  Plus, I wasn’t all that fond of Portersfield.”

Even Clay looked shocked.  “Portersfield?  Really?”  The look of revulsion was priceless.  Justin had to smother a laugh.  “I thought Grandma and Grandpa were Overtons.  At least, that’s what _I_ remember the Christmas cards saying on the envelopes.”

“They were.  Grandpa was Grandma’s second husband.”  Lainie gave a sad smile.  “My dad – my birth father, actually – died when I was five.  Grandma met Grandpa shortly after, and…well, that was that.”

“But you didn’t take your stepdad’s name?”

Lainie shrugged.  “I loved my dad – or rather, my stepdad – but he never adopted us.   Back then, that was kind of a sticking point.  So there we were, four kids, all Portersfields.  My mom wanted us to have something of our birth father’s, even if we couldn’t remember him.  So really, it was _her_ fault.  Dad never disagreed with Mom.  Even when he probably should have.  They were married right up until Dad died. That was when you were four, Clay.”

“But…did you want to change?  I mean, back then?” Justin asked.

Lainie fell silent a moment.  “A part of me did.  It certainly would have made things easier in school.  But a small part of me still wanted to have that little piece of my birth father.  My mother remembered him as a kind man, with a stubborn streak a mile wide when it came to standing up for what he believed in.”

“Huh.  I never met mine.” Justin looked wistful.  “Lives down state somewhere.  Mom said he was a mechanic of some kind.  She said he was a good man, but…I dunno, maybe he didn’t want me?”

The admission broke Lainie’s heart.  Her own father hadn’t had a choice in leaving.  A ruptured brain aneurysm had decided for him. “I’m sure he was, Justin.”

The boy shrugged.  “He’s never tried to see me.  It’s like…it’s like I don’t even exist.”

“So Foley is your mom’s name?” Clay asked.

Justin nodded.  “Yeah.  After she had me, she got married like, five times.  Or six.  I lost count.  Each one was worse than the last.  Finally she stopped with that and just brought them home.”  He swallowed thickly.  A piece of lasagna noodle was caught in his throat.  “They had stupid names anyway.”

Clay sat upright in his chair.  _What do you say after that?  “Gee, sorry your mom has shit taste in men?”  Or “That sucks.  Assholes.”?_

“But, to answer your question, Justin,” his mother continued, “no, you don’t have to change your name.  Not if you don’t want to.”

“But it is an option,” Matt interjected.  “If you’d like to, at some point.”

Justin smiled a small smile.  “Thanks, Mr. Jensen.”

Lainie cleared her throat a little.  “Speaking of names, there is that,” she said.  “I think Mr. and Mrs. Jensen is a little formal, don’t you?”

Justin looked at the pair, wide-eyed.  “What else would I call you?  I mean, “hey, you,” seems a little rude…”

“Well, most of my students call me Matt,” Matt replied.  “To be honest, every time I hear Mr. Jensen, I think my father’s hiding in a corner somewhere.”

“And Lainie is fine, Justin,” the lady of the house added.  “I don’t expect you to call me ‘Mom.’”  _At least, not right away,_ she thought to herself.  _But maybe someday…_

“Okay.  Thanks.”  The smile on the boy’s face grew a little.

“By the way, I’m still Clay.”

“Good to know.”  Justin’s million dollar smile had returned.

* * *

 

**August 23**

“Um, there’s something I’d like to do, before the adoption,” Justin said to Lainie after dinner.  He usually offered to do the dishes, leaving Clay the bathroom to clean once a week instead. 

“Okay,” Lainie said.  “What is it?”

“I, um…I’d like to change my name.  To…to Jensen.  That’s still okay, isn’t it?”

Lainie’s jaw hit the floor.  The paperwork that would need to be changed…the request for a new birth certificate…while all of these things were changing anyway, adding this last-minute addendum would be a marathon effort to get done before the process finalized in just under a week.  “Yes, honey, it is absolutely okay,” she said, joy creeping though her words.  “Why the change of heart?  Not that I’m not happy, but…”

Justin shrugged.  “I guess…I suppose I don’t really feel like Amber’s child, anymore.  I’ve changed, in so many ways – for good and bad, really.  More good than bad.  I want to start over, like you did when you got married.”  A shy smile crept along a diamond-shaped face.  “I want to belong somewhere, and this is where I think I do.  With you.  And Matt.  And Clay.”  The smile quirked a bit.  “Even if Clay is a little melodramatic at times…”

Lainie laughed.  “Well, welcome to the family, Justin Andrew Jensen.”  She listened to it as it rolled off her tongue.  “I guess Clay has a bit of a point. It doesn’t really roll off the tongue, but…”

“But it’s what I want.  Let Amber keep her name.  I’m someone else entirely now.”

“I’ll start with the paperwork in the morning.”  The happy mother gave her very-soon-to-be newest son a giant hug.  “Would you like to tell Matt and Clay, or should I?”

“I’ll tell Clay.  You can tell Matt.”

“Okay.  I’ll do that tonight.”  She picked up her washcloth.  “Just a few more and we’ll be done.”

“Oh, good.  ‘Cause I’m thinking taco salad just uses too many dishes.”  Justin grinned.  “Especially when you build it like an actual _salad_ …”


End file.
